BENGALURU: With the Kabini reservoir in Mysuru district receiving good inflows and the authorities already releasing water to Tamil Nadu, the all-party meeting convened by Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Sunday is likely to discuss the state’s future course of action and the implementation of the Mekedatu balancing reservoir project.
Shivakumar is expected to seek the opinions of all-party leaders and legal experts to safeguard the interests of Karnataka in the future. His cabinet colleagues, including Deputy CM Dr G Parameshwara and Water Resources Minister Ramlinga Reddy, and senior officials will take part in the meeting.
The issue of moving the Supreme Court against the Cauvery Water Management Authority’s (CWMA) order is also likely to get neutralised as water is already being released from the Kabini dam.
So, the all-party meeting may shift its focus to the Mekedatu project. Shivakumar reiterated that the proposed project that will come up across the Cauvery near Ramanagara will benefit Tamil Nadu more than Karnataka, except for the 400MW power that will help the latter.
Meanwhile, the considerable inflow into the Kabini reservoir has come as a blessing to the Karnataka Congress government, which is visibly upbeat. Shivakumar in Mysuru on Saturday clarified that since the Kabini dam is filling fast, water cannot be retained.
He is likely to put forth the same argument at Sunday meeting, and seize the opportunity to discuss the Mekedatu project, which will allow Karnataka to store 60 to 67.16 tmcft of water and resolve the perennial issue that crops up during rain distress years.
He may appeal to NDA MPs from Karnataka to pressure the Centre to get the detailed project report cleared for the project. The Centre, citing the Supreme Court order, recently stated that the neighbouring state’s consent is not needed for Karnataka to build a structure along the Cauvery river.
But BJP and JDS are likely to raise the issue of the State not being able to effectively argue its case before CWRC and CWMA. They may urge the government to release water for Karnataka farmers immediately as water is already being released to Tamil Nadu.
The BJP core committee is likely to meet at 9 am on Sunday ahead of the all-party meeting. Former CMs, including BS Yediyurappa, and several other party leaders are expected to take part in the all-party meeting, sources informed.
Former CM and Haveri MP Basavaraj Bommai, who held the water resources portfolio in the Yediyurappa cabinet, held an informal meeting with leaders of opposition in the Assembly R Ashoka and in the Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, and former Deputy CM Dr CN Ashwath Narayan on Saturday evening. They discussed issues of farmers of the state to be taken up at the meeting, a source said.
Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries and JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy is likely to take on the government for its alleged lapses in safeguarding the interests of the state, especially farmers. He is likely to highlight the state’s failure to fill tanks, especially in the Cauvery basin, sources added.
Meanwhile, Union MoS for Railways and Jal Shakti V Somanna praised Shivakumar for calling an all-party MPs’ meeting in Delhi recently.
God’s blessings: CM
“We are all governed by nature. It is because of God’s blessings that Kabini dam has filled up,” CM DK Shivakumar remarked. “With reservoirs filling to the brim, even if I tell officials not to release water, it is not practically possible to hold water back. Since it has to be released, I once again urge protesters not to enter rivers during demonstrations,” he said.